[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-586553-105":59,"doc-detail-586553-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","social-policy-report-volume-32-number-3-2019","Social Policy Report - Volume 32 - Number 3 - 2019","","The report synthesizes research on informal learning to guide early STEM policy for children before school age. It reviews how informal STEM experiences occur across settings such as museums and homes and across STEM domains. Using cognitive and learning science evidence, it advances three recommendations: embed cognitive science–based practices in informal contexts, expand accessibility and diversity of informal STEM experiences, and strengthen coherence between formal and informal STEM learning in early childhood education.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/social-policy-report-volume-32-number-3-2019/586553/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/social-policy-report-volume-32-number-3-2019/586553.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Angel","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is the main purpose of this Social Policy Report on early STEM?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"It reviews research on informal STEM learning and uses cognitive and learning science evidence to inform policy that promotes early STEM learning before children enter school.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which informal settings are emphasized as important for early STEM interest?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The report highlights museums, clubs and organizations, and the home environment as nondidactic spaces that can enhance STEM engagement and learning.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What three policy recommendations does the report make?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"It recommends integrating cognitive science–based learning practices into informal contexts, increasing accessibility and diversity of informal STEM experiences, and creating explicit connections between formal and informal STEM opportunities in early childhood education.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},586553,1792073814,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},687207412472,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","| \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>| | Volume 32, Number 3 | 2019\u003Cbr>Social Policy Report |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n\nLeveraging Research on Informal Learning to Inform Policy on Promoting Early STEM  \nMichelle A. Hurst, University of Chicago  \nNaomi Polinsky, Northwestern University  \nCatherine A. Haden, Loyola University Chicago  \nSusan C. Levine, University of Chicago  \nDavid H. Uttal, Northwestern University  \nABSTRACT  \nIn recent decades, educators and policymakers in the United States have increased their focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities both in school and in informal learning environments outside of school. Informal STEM learning can take place in varied settings and involves a variety of STEM domains (e.g. , engaging in engineering practices in a construction exhibit at a museum; talking about math during book reading at home) . Here we provide a selective review of the literature on informal STEM learning to illustrate how these educational experiences are crucial for efforts to increase early STEM learning even before children reach school age. Leveraging cognitive and learning science research to inform policy, we make three recommendations to advance the impact of informal STEM learning: 1) integrate cognitive and learning science–based learning practices into informal learning contexts, 2) increase accessibility and diversity of informal STEM experiences, and 3) create explicit connections and coherence between formal and informal STEM learning opportunities in early childhood education.  \nCorresponding author:  \nMichelle A. Hurst ( [hurstm@uchicago.edu](hurstm@uchicago.edu); [hurst.mich@gmail.com](hurst.mich@gmail.com) )  \nSocial Policy Report | 1  \nSocial Policy Report  \nVolume 32, Number 3 | 2019 ISSN 1075-7031  \nSocial Policy Report is published three times a year by the Society for Research in Child Development.  \nEDITORIAL TEAM  \nLead Editor  \nEllen Wartella, PhD  \n[ellen-wartella@northwestern.edu](ellen-wartella@northwestern.edu)  \nAssociate Editor  \nFashina Aladé, PhD  \n[alade@u.northwestern.edu](alade@u.northwestern.edu)  \nEditorial Board  \nP. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, PhD Sandra Waxman, PhD David Figlio, PhD Craig Garfield, MD Neil Jordan, PhD Terri Sabol, PhD David Uttal, PhD Diane Schanzenbach, PhD Dedre Gentner, PhD Matthew M. Davis, MD Amelie Petitclerc, PhD Rachel Flynn, PhDOnnie Rogers, PhD  \nSRCD Policy Staff  \nKelly R. Fisher, PhD Anna Kimura  \nScience Writer  \nAnne Bridgman  \nManager of Publications  \nRachel Walther  \nFROM THE EDITOR  \nThis Social Policy Report is situated in a particular contemporary context: as the authors make clear, since 2010 there has been federal-level interest in encouraging children’s enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to help ensure that our nation has an adequate supply of STEM workers in the future (an area where we have been lagging behind) . Additionally, there are some real concerns about public education today; across the United States, this past year has seen teacher strikes, reduction of school to four days a week in some areas, and evidence of a halt in progress on student performance on national standardized achievement tests. Given the great stress that is already placed on teachers in formal school settings, the central idea of this SPR is that we look at how informal educational settings—such as museums, clubs and organizations, and simply the home environment—can enhance, augment, and provide a more comprehensive approach to encouraging STEM interest in young children. Furthermore, these informal settings provide opportunities to engage parents and caregivers in encouraging their children’s interest in STEM.  \nWithin this SPR, the authors, a team of cognitive and developmental scientists across three universities in the Chicago area, provide concrete evidence for the importance of informal settings as a way to promote STEM interest, engagement, and learning among prescho","cbCaiuz35A8tWfqv","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiuz35A8tWfqv","pdf",391775,33,"English","# Abstract\n## Focus and evidence base\n## Three policy recommendations\n## Editorial context and motivation\n## Policy directions for informal settings","[{\"question\":\"What is the main purpose of this Social Policy Report on early STEM?\",\"answer\":\"It reviews research on informal STEM learning and uses cognitive and learning science evidence to inform policy that promotes early STEM learning before children enter school.\"},{\"question\":\"Which informal settings are emphasized as important for early STEM interest?\",\"answer\":\"The report highlights museums, clubs and organizations, and the home environment as nondidactic spaces that can enhance STEM engagement and learning.\"},{\"question\":\"What three policy recommendations does the report make?\",\"answer\":\"It recommends integrating cognitive science–based learning practices into informal contexts, increasing accessibility and diversity of informal STEM experiences, and creating explicit connections between formal and informal STEM opportunities in early childhood education.\"}]","Social Policy Report - Volume 32 - Number 3 - 2019 | PDF",1792058322,83]